Integrated Services Digital Network (I.S.D.N) is an international communications standard that makes it possible to deliver multiple services in addition to the normal telephone (voice) service. Thus, fax, video, data, and all kinds of images can be transmitted to a terminal over a single line. The ISDN service is provided by public network operators at both national and international levels. They offer a choice of Basic or Primary Rate access to the ISDN network. The Basic access (also called 2B+D) provides two 64 Kbps channels for voice or data communications plus one D channel for controlling and monitoring of the transmission, giving an aggregate speed of 144 Kbps. The Primary rate (which is called 30B+D) offers up to 30 simultaneous 64 Kbps B channels and one 64 Kbps D channel for an aggregate speed of 2 Mbps.
The performance offered by ISDN networks, and particularly the throuput provided by the primary rate, has allowed the possibility of effective national and international communications between host computers, either IBM or non IBM, running X25, SNA, TCP/IP or OSI applications, and a wide range of terminal equipment and users. Thus, a wide range of users, who are generally not specialized in the telecommunication field or in the structure and operating of sophisticated telecommunication equipments, benefit from the high rates and possibilities of the ISDN equipment.
For instance, the possibilities offered by ISDN networks have allowed the creation and development of electronic catalogs and multimedia databases. Electronic images which are stored on a central database can thus be accessed in a few seconds by multiple users within a country or across borders. Electronic and up-to-date catalogs allow travel agents, for example, to show specific resorts and hotels with much more detail than by using a printed catalog. Tour operators can also benefit from these possibilities since the update of one single, central data base appears easier and cheaper. Also distributers and retailers can demonstrate products clearly, whether the items are cars, fashion or technical products, and they can let users browse through catalogs and place orders directly. Retailers can show a wide variety of models electronically without having to keep the whole expensive range on hand, and additions and deletions are easily handled. The ISDN network allows a set of up to 30 users to simultaneously be connected to one electronic catalog.
Further, the possibilities which are offered by the ISDN networks also allow the development of file transfers where software can be downloaded or retrieved from a central host by remote branch office or distribution centers to take advantage of lower tarifs during non-peak hours.
As a conclusion, a wide number of different telecommunication users are allowed to benefit from the possibilities which are offered by the ISDN telecommunication primary rate communications, including data, voice, and image transfers by means of a corresponding wide number of telecommunication applications.
This wide number of telecommunications applications is likely to include travel agency, real estate, retailing and distribution applications.
These require that sophisticated telecommunication equipment or gateways providing access to the ISDN primary interface be sufficiently simple in terms of customization, configuration, line connections, directory management and data traffic control so as to be operable by a user who does not have the knowledge of a fully qualified telecommunication engineer.
The problem to be solved by the present invention allows a simple operator, who is not particularly qualified in the telecommunication field or particularly in the ISDN network and the multiple connections between ISDN terminals and X25, SNA, TCP/IP or OSI applications running in host computers, to easily configure, operate and control a sophisticated gateway equipment, thereby allowing access to a ISDN primary rate.